I will soon be in the market for my first rod/reel, and based on all the raves I've seen on these forums, I'm considering the Temple Fork Outfitters TiCr. My worry is that I've seen that rod described as having a "fast" action, and also heard it said that a fast rod may be difficult for a beginner to handle and learn on. While I hope to test cast rods of interest, I'm not sure I'll get the opportunity to test this one, so any advice would be most appreciated.

I think you would be very, very satisfied with the TFO TiCr X. It offers fantastic performance. I also don't think you will have any problem learning proper casting techniques with a fast action rod. In fact, I wish I would have started with fast action rods. The TiCr X series is certainly a fast action rod but it is also a very friendly taper that offers excellent performance.

The last thing I want to do is complicate the question, but I'm curious:

What weight rod are you looking at?

Will you do a lot of roll casting?

What lines do you think you'll use most (double taper, floating WF, shooting heads, sinking, etc)?

What species?

There is some truth to the concept that moderate action is a good tutor of smooth casting, but in lighter weights it's less of an issue than in heavier weights.

Depending on your body size when you reach 7wt or 8-10wt the stiffness is a very important matter indeed and I would suggest casting any rod you are considering with an experienced person at a fly shop first to get a professional opinion.

In lighter weights, 3-6wt or 7wt let's say, the rod's power relative to the human body is not as much of an issue provided the rod is made close to AFTMA standards.

The TFO TiCr is a pleasure to cast. I have tried the 5wt-7wt and the line jumps off the rod. Components are nice as well.

Thanks for the detailed information. To answer some of juro's questions, I am looking at a 5 wgt for mostly trout fishing. I'm intending to start out with floating line, probably a double taper. I imagine I'll be doing some roll casting, but don't really know enough right now to say. I'm average sized, I'd say. I gather from what juro is telling me that, given these parameters, the TiCr would probably be fine. An alternative might be the TFO Professional, which I gather is "slower."

I have a Ticr 10wt and the Pro 10wt - I like the Ticr a lot as it does much of the work for me but I love the feel of the Pro. The Ticr puts out more line with less effort as long as my timing is right on and it is truely a joy to cast. The Pro is more forgiving and it gives me more time to react, I get a better feel of when the back cast is about to straighten and when I move into a forward cast there is a smoother transition with less shock.

I used to live in the SFBay area, and did a lot of trout fishing in the Sierras, to the upper sac, the McCloud, Pit, etc. and will offer some suggestions.

re some of Juro's questions, if you intend to fish the above waters, you WILL do some roll casting. I generally find that roll casting is easier with a rod that is slightly less than really fast. (I haven't tried the TFO in anything under an 8 wt so don't know where that fits in). That said, on many of these rivers, nymphing is VERY effective. I prefer a fast rod for nymphing.

As far as lines, I found a weight forward to be much more useful as an everyday line on those rivers than a DT. Some of the rivers are big, and the WF allowed for some longer casts. I also fished some itty bitty places, and the DT was just fine in those settings.

Just some food for thought...only experience will tell you what type of rod and line works best for you. If I were starting all over again, I would surely be looking at TFO too, either the TiCr or the Pro (probably not the X for an all around trout rod, but that may just reflect my own taste)

I will soon be in the market for my first rod/reel, and based on all the raves I've seen on these forums, I'm considering the Temple Fork Outfitters TiCr. My worry is that I've seen that rod described as having a "fast" action, and also heard it said that a fast rod may be difficult for a beginner to handle and learn on. While I hope to test cast rods of interest, I'm not sure I'll get the opportunity to test this one, so any advice would be most appreciated.

I think a faster rod is easier for beginners. It is conducive to a shorter cast, and will more easily throw weighted flys with split shot. If you are just going to do dry fly maybe buy a slower rod. If you have a slow rod and decide to add some nymphs and weight, you might hit yourself in the head with the flys .

A moderate action rod has many advantages:Fishing - After the cast comes mending, feeding line with dead drifted flies, striking and setting the hook, and fighting and landing a fish with 7x tippet. All are more effective with moderate action rods.

Several of my best casting rods are not good fishing tools. IMHO it is a mistake to choose a fishing tool only by its casting power.

Barbless hooks - To hold a barbless hooked fish requires a reasonably deep bend in one's rod to prevent "micro-slack" in a line during a fish's head shaking. Any slack with a barbless hook equals lost fish. This bend in a moderate action rod gives a delightful fighting experience. The same bend in my fast rods means the fish is landed prematurely and unsportingly fast--"grass 'em, as some old timers say."

Ability to Use the Rod - Jerry Siem, chief rod designer at Sage, stated in a major fly fishing magazing last year that the majority [65-70% I think] of his customers were unable to properly use the faster rods they purchased. If your first fly rod is fast, do you think you'll be an exception to Mr. Siem's experiece?

My recommendation is based on fishing NorCal trout for the last twenty five years.

Discussing this topic several years ago with the owner of the San Francisco area's largest fly shop, he agreed with everything I said, but stated he sold fast rods to beginners because the majority only fished a couple of times per year, and it was easier to teach a cast to a student using a fast rod, and it was easier for the new fisherman to relearn his cast after a long layoff.

Keep in mind a lot of the TiCR reviews you read on this board are from saltwater anglers looking to handle heavy grain lines or overline and fight the wind with tight loops.

For trout fishing your primary interests should be roll casting, line mending and tippet protection which are the strong points of moderate/slow action rods. If you plan on doing a lot of nymph fishing you will be roll casting the majority of the time so it's important.

In most situations you will be casting to fish within 30 feet. Delicacy and line control are what you want - not distance casting.

Don't get sucked into the idea that if you can cast it farther at the fly shop it must be the better tool for the job.